NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College softball team dropped a pair of Wednesday afternoon matchups against MIAC-leading College of Saint Benedict. The Knights lost 14-2 (6 inn.) and 11-1 (5 inn.)
This marked the conclusion of a 10-game homestand for the Knights (12-18, 3-13 MIAC), who will wrap up the season with seven road games. Meanwhile, the Bennies (21-13, 14-2 MIAC) extended their lead atop the conference standings to two games with only six games remaining in the season.
Megan Smith led the Knights with three hits on the day, and
Bryanna Schaffer went 2-for-5 with a double.
Game 1
After the Bennies scored a pair off a two-run double in the top of the first, Carleton immediately responded behind a Smith single, and error, a groundout, and
Reagan Wills' sacrifice fly.
The Bennies answered with four runs in the following frame, with three of the tallies coming with two outs.
The game slowed down as neither side registered a hit until Wills had a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth. After a walk to
Grace Colburn, Schaffer doubled home the other Carleton run.
This 6-2 score line lasted until the top of the sixth when Saint Benedict scored eight times to effectively finish the game.
Smith and Wills led the Knights with two hits apiece.
Sydney Trentman (5-8) toed the rubber and registered her sixth complete game effort of the season. Four Carleton errors led to seven unearned runs on her pitching line.
Game 2
MIAC home run leader Olivia Tautges added another to her season total as she belted her 12th roundtripper of the season giving the Bennies a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. The visitors added five runs in the second and four more tallies in the fourth.
Singles from Smith and
Adrianna Wiggins gave the Knights two base runners in the bottom of the frame, but those would be the Knights' last hits until the fourth inning when
Grace Colburn and Schaffer singled with one out. Again, Carleton was unable to complete the rally.
The Knights scored in the bottom of the fifth as Smith reached on a fielder's choice before moving to second on a ground out and scoring on a pair of wild pitches.
Genevieve Lyon (0-1) got the start at picked up the loss, going 1.1 innings.
Rachel Block pitched the rest of the game, going 3.2 innings with 3 strikeouts for the Knights.
Next Up for the Knights
Carleton plays a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Hamline University on Saturday, April 27 followed by a 2:00 p.m. first pitch for the twin bill at Concordia College-Moorhead on Sunday, April 28.
